Between the stones at Sandefjord, Norway

I just published a new article on the amzing stone circles to be found in Scandinavia. Eventually it will be in the articles section, but for now has its own tab at the top of the pages- or can be found by clicking below

STONE CIRCLE ARTICLE

Cheers

I wanted to give a short update as I have not posted a blog or article for a while. I have been mostly writing my new book. The 12-chapter, 270 page manuscript is now complete, and I now going through it chapter by chapter to give in more personal stories and better up the writing. 5 chapters are now done, with 7 to go. I will list the chapter headings below so you will have more of an idea of what I am writing about.

Working on this book has also demanded much more inner personal work, as each chapter has been an inner exploration of my insight (or lack of) in any of the areas of writing. It has forced me to look at many things in order to try and be as clear and focused as possible with what is being written, and to honestly present when I am unsure about certain areas.

As for the new year…

Lots of talk will begin to happen now as people look at their new calendar and see January 2012 on it. 2012 is something that was an initial focus of my exploration when I began questing 14 years ago. It seemed like such a far away time- but here we are? Does it mean anything?

Maybe.

The main focus on this date has been interpretation of the Mayan Calendar, which has actually be badly mistranslated by academics and spiritual researchers. There is even wide disagreement about when their calender even ends (when matched with our own). End dates vary from a few days, to hundreds of years. But the date of December 21, 2012 (winter solstice) has made it into the publics’ minds- and there are reasons astronomically to suggest this as a possible date to end this calendar. What is important is that on all that has been found from the Maya, they write very little about the ending, and only a small amount about the beginning. They do not discuss some sort of apocalyptic or destruction, nor some sort of evolution lifting blissful consciousness. All they say is that it will be the end of time. Everything else about it is modern opinion. Keep that in mind.

However, the year 2012 is now imbeded in the human mental structure. People have been conditioned to think that something big is going to happen this year. So it is possible that the worldwide human subconscious structure may create an event of some kind- that may have nothing to do with any sort of prophecy of the Maya- simply to verify the inner egoic subconscious idea that something big has to happen this year.

So what can we do? Keep with the observation, of self, our thoughts, our environment. Keep searching for another false concept, idea, structure, that appears and back away from it. We do not want to live and act in a fearful or anxious way, nor do we want to be wandering around in denial of what is/will be happening in our insane global societies. We want to somehow stay BETWEEN these two extremes, a detached watchfulness. Keep to the work, keep shining light on that which is hidden, question every aspect of ourselves, and every aspect of society we have been told to believe and trust without question. That is what 2012 might be- a giant distraction to a key time of inner work. Don’t be distracted, keep on task.

A final reminder from the writings of Richard Rose, “The view is not the viewer, the observed is not the observer.”

Cheers

CHAPTER HEADINGS OF NEW BOOK

1 Loose Footing
2 Magical Commitment- What is There to Lose?
3 Wisdom, Warriors and Shamans
4 Mind Games
5 Meditation or Medication?
6 The Matrix
7 The Free Will of Donnie, Bagger and Arjuna
8 Energy Boosts
9 Powerful Allies
10 Between-ness
11 Jacob’s Ladder
12 The End by Death
Epilogue- Professor Plum in the Conservatory with the Candlestick

“Thus Rose takes the spiritual search very seriously, and has no tolerance for mediocrity, compromise or corruption, under the guise of spiritual instruction. He provides a precise definition for what spiritual work and is not: ‘Those who teach disciplines, unless those disciplines are for introspection or for dying, are teachers of systems of orderly leisure, auto-hypnosis, or self-deceit.” (John Kent)

Below is a paraphrasing of some things said by Jed McKenna in his (or her*) third book Spiritual Warfare

Their spirituality is meant to improve their life and elevate themselves above the masses, while real the real spiritual process is designed to destroy your current life. Spiritual people have come to regard this ego thing they read about to be a simple habit that you can break like not drinking anymore coffee. But the real process is like skinning yourself alive, or cutting of your own head tiny piece by tiny piece. To anyone that has really gone through the process of awakening, would look at modern spirituality (compassion, peace on earth, good will to men, be organic) the same way soldiers see kids playing war in the backyard. Real spirituality is a do or die bid for freedom, and resembles a suicidal assault, on a foe of unimaginable superiority.

* Author of Jed Mckenna books still uknown

Frustration is a big part of all this. We try what the experts tell us, and that doesn’t work. Then we hear certain views of awakening that seem to make no sense.
Helpless is a good word that comes to mind. Feeling totally helpless in all this
but…….if we just can see deep enough, this helpless frustrated feeling is a pointer

Have “I” really been in control of anything this whole time? Here i have been doing, trying
striving, failing…then all of a sudden- damn did I even have control over what I had for
breakfast?

This is a big one. most seekers became seekers because they wanted to get some control over their lives, but it never happened, so then what? Rather than try to get more control, we should look to see what control really is, do we have any, how can we find out one way or another?

It is possible we are nothing but programmed robots, puppets, dealing with 1,000,000 factors that go into why we do everything we do, all of which we never actually chose,
but were conditioned into us along the way of the thing called our life. But there seems to be one opening. The puppet can begin to look for “who is pulling my strings.” Who set me up to be a robot? Why do I feel personal guilt or shame when I fail- or do something rather stupid, if someone else is pulling my strings?

What is control? What is action? What is thought?

See it can be a good place to be if the pointers are moved towards

Ever since I can remember I have (in a sense) been told that I have a personality, something that I wear, and that there is a real self underneath it all. But is that just a presentation? How do I really define myself? What actually is me.

We are told again and again to be “true to yourself,” but if you don’t actually know who this “yourself” is, we might wind up as John Kent describes “being true to a false self, actualizing a self who is not really me.” Thus the suggestion to be who you are is potentially dangerous without correct self-definition. “Not every soul is of the truth, nor of immortality.” (Apocalypse of Peter- Nag Hammadi Codex)

That is what self inquiry, charactorized by the phrase ‘Who Am I or What Am I’ is truing to point towards. It is not verifying that we really are the person we are experiencing ourself as right now, just that we do not really know this me thing well enough yet, so we have to make ourselves into a giant science experiment to become familiar with every aspect of our thinking and acting. Why do we think the way we think and do what we do? No search for anything external can really happen, or find anything, until one has properly defined and understood the thing searching. We must openly observe and question if we are a free being, or a hypnotized robot.

Honest inner examination will reveal the errors of the mind, perception and egoic grasping and allow the chance to drop some of these masks and walls for a peek at what might be waiting behind it all.

Which of course is what we have been looking for all along.

But that is not the reason for this post. It involves people taking things, ususally stones, from the site. Like anything in nature- people think they can just take what they want, it is all here just for our use. A flower can be picked, rock taken home, a gulf polluted with oil. We can do what we want. I was taught from the natives who shared with me, that we can never take anything from nature- not a flower or even a stone- without asking its permission, and then leaving a gift to that place in return. We always must give to take.
At a power place, such as a stone circle- it must regareded the same as a church or temple. This were places the ancients came for ceremonies, healing, gathering knowledge, and for deep contemplation. The stones, even the small ones of the path, have soaked up tremendous power from being there. And it can be ok for them to come with us- for a time. We may realize that we need a deeper connection of a spot- for healing or knowlege or whatnot. And sometimes a stone is able to help us with our connections.
BUT
Before you take any stone from a site- think of it as a church. you wouldn’t just take a painting off the wall because it looked nice. First you must ask if the stone wants to come with you, and REALLY LISTEN. If it says no, then it stays. If it says yes, then you must leave a gift. Either tobacco, another stone, water or some other gift. To not do this could mean that the stone- and its new found power, might turn against you, causing all sorts of disturbance in your life. Many problems people face comes from taking something from nature without its permission. And even if the stone does come, then you must always be ready to return it to the EXACT place you found it, if the feeling comes for that to occur.

In the work of self definition (who am I) and figuring out this place (where am I) power or energy becomes one of the most important tools we can understand to give us what we need to be the battery for our inner seeking. Thus these places of power from the ancient world can help us in ways we may not be able to fully understand. Just remember to treat this- as anything with great power- with great respect. The tiger looks friendly now, but grab it by the tail, and you might get an unsuspecting bite.

Friendship

Friendship is a key Gnostic ideal, and allowed all of those who had participated in the mysteries (search for Truth) to come together in “a joining of the Truth, that they should have no adversary.” (NHC- Second Treatese of the Great Seth) Richard Rose also felt that friendship was just as important as the student-teacher relationship. Mr. Park preferred to have his students and him all living in the same house, mostly I feel so that friendships could grow.

Rose claimed it was clear that one must help others for there to be personal growth. It is sort of a law: genuine, respectful friendship between people is one of this realm’s highest ideals- not just for happy living, but for being able to attain one’s Self. “There is no religion higher than human friendship.” (Richard Rose) He does mean that social interaction or mutual affirmation is the goal of the spiritual quest- but more in that we are going to use the people we encounter to help discover the truth about ourselves- while the experience of helping, and being helped- will aid our progress, far better than any monastery or cave-like monk life (though at times a period of total monk-like solitude will be required). No teaching should ever be trusted if it does not allow for unselfish co-operation between co workers on the path.

It is very difficult to walk the path alone, and it here where a school, group, or just a few spiritual friends are not just of value, but a part of the process- in fact more valuable than a library of the 500 best spiritual books. “For those searching for the truth and self realization, the need for co-workers is as great as the need for teachers.” (Richard Rose) real spiritual friends will help to sustain our path, to not get lazy and keep us moving forward. And when we find people who also are serious about finding answers to their life koans, then we must spend time with them, while those who are not interested in these matters, we should use as little of our time as necessary. And help may not mean to be working with people directly. The help could come from helping a group or teacher continue their teaching. “From this moment on children (initiates), return always to your divine nature. Seperate from evil, decieving friends. Accept the Christos, the spirit of true friendship as your good teacher.” (NHC- Teachings of Selvanus)

Of course this need to commune with other seekers does not mean that we should give up our individual will or discrimination, turn ourselves over to a group unquestioningly. “Fright never injures anyone. What injures the spirit is always having someone on your back, beating you, telling what to do and what not to do.” (Carlos Castaneda, Journey To Ixtlan)The search for self is a very alone thing, and when we find Self, all we find is alone- however the friendships along the way are part of the process of finding we are All-One. Rose reminds that we should try to find someone one level above where we are to help us (and because in the law of the 4 levels is not a ladder but a pyramid, means there are always more on the bottom than on top) we should try to find six people to help. This help must be given selfishlessly. If we help another simply because we feel we will then get (or are somehow owed by the universe) help in return, then that is selfish helping. We have to be selfless in our desire to help, not for gain, but for the joy of helping. Helping should become natural to you.

Real spiritual friends have another gift they give to us- they can mirror, or directly point out, our weak spots and dangerous egoic minds. If we just stay alone with no external contact, it can be easy to stay or fall back asleep. It helps to have others around who have made a similar serious commitment to answers, for they become mirrors for us, show us our blind spots. Those who we can see our flaws in, and see their flaws in us as well. They can help us work through a problem (as being in a similar place doing similar work) and can show us something about us we can not see ourselves. We have to get comfortable letting our spiritual friends be very honest with us, even if that honesty hurts. “A friend on the path should serve as a mirror to point out egos and destructive tendencies.” (Richard Rose)

Yet through all this selfless helping, one must remember that paradoxically one is alone, and must on walking the path to Truth, be very selfish. In that you are going to find your essence as the number one and only quest of your life. You are not out to save family, friends, community from the woes of the planet. You want answers.

John Kent reminded me that this is like saying ” we are all millionaires, except we don’t have the money, and we can’t remember where we buried it.”

But there is a slight catch. While the body, mind and self are found to be unreal- shadows in God’s mind- you can not just jump right into the realiztion without a body and mind that is somewhat prepared to handle it due to the shock nature. Some mental hospital patients and those walking around mumbling to themselves may have had a realiztion of true nature, but did not have the container available to hold it. No matter how pure the water you pour into a container, if it is full of cracks and holes, the pure water will just lead out.

Thus the need for truth seeking in the small, seemingly mundane things, as well as the big all encompassing things. The truth may be no self, but as long as the self we currently belive and use is broken and unhealed, that is going to cause a hole for energy to leak out. Thus the odd saying to have to “fatten up one’s head (ego) before we can chop it off.” We heal it, so that we can then exazmine to see if it is actually there. Paradoxical it may be, but it appears the safest way. The Zen work to push towards the lightning bolt, with native indian work to prepare the body should the lightning come. Working to redfine or small-t truths, should realization of Capital T truth surprise us.

We will be afraid of deep seeking if we know subconsciously that our form would not be able to handle it due to our mess of the way we interact with our daily lives, thus will work to block our own efforts at actually taking a step forward. It is why I feel the Gnostic texts, Ancient Egypt, and Richard Rose offer so much help to seekers. They touch on all parts of this process, not just on a few on one level of it.